How does Rainer Maria Rilke use imagery in Letters to a Young Poet?

In Letter III, Rilke develops two of his central themes—the necessity for contemplation, and the relationship between creativity and sexuality. This latter is explored with particularly vivid imagery—it is difficult to avoid comparisons between the explosion of the volcano and the explosion of seminal fluid during male orgasm. In response to this imagery, it is important to contrast Rilke's views of male sexuality with his views on female sexuality expressed here, and the relationship between the sexual expression of the two genders, in Section V, Letter VII.